Page 31 of Darkened Promises

“I’m messing everything up.” She sniffles.

I don’t hesitate. I pull up the covers and slide beneath them. She crawls onto my chest, and it fucking throbs knowing she’s still able to find comfort in me.

“You’re not,” I tell her, then wind my arms around her back, anchoring her to me.

“Then why can’t I say the right thing?” she whispers.

“Words are overrated.”

She huffs, and I’m almost certain she’s rolling her eyes at me. “That’s not helpful.”

“We don’t need you to say what you think we need to hear. It’s how you’re thinking, feeling, or needing. Everything you say is the right thing. It’s important.”

“Mm.” She doesn’t sound convinced.

“Get some sleep, little tease.”

“Will you…stay with me?” She’s hesitant, but she doesn’t need to be, and she won’t be when she realises that she’s stuck with me.

“Always.”

The feel of us pressed together, her heart beating close to mine, is hard to ignore when I wasn’t sure I’d ever hold her again.

The little beast pads down the bed and curls up in his bed.

It doesn’t take long for her to fall asleep. I stay awake and count her breaths. Each inhale and exhale she takes.

The door slowly opens, and Noah walks in silently.

“I’ve updated Logan. Hopefully, she’ll feel up to talking to him tomorrow. How’s she doing?” he asks after peering over and seeing her sleeping.

I scowl. “Stupid question.”

“I know she’s not okay. But did she bring anything up?” he asks, keeping his voice just above a whisper.

“No, and I didn’t ask her. She’ll talk when she wants to.” I glare, hoping he takes that as the obvious fucking hint it is and not push her. They’re all fucking talkers; sometimes people don’t want to say shit.

Sometimes they’re not ready, and sometimes they just don’t want to.

“We need to communicate better, not just with her, with each other too. She’s going to need us all to work as a team.” He sounds too exasperated for me to not take offence.

“Hope you’re giving the same lecture to the others, not just me.”

He sighs, shaking his head, then lifts the covers and gently slides in on Rosy’s other side. With her mostly lying across me, there’s plenty of room for him to fit without us brushing each other.

“Don’t be snuggling me,” I threaten. “Or you’re out.”

“Noah?” Rosy sleepily whispers. She wriggles closer to me, face nuzzling into my chest as her hands fist in my T-shirt.

“I’m here, sweetheart,” he tells her. When he reaches over and switches off the bedside lamp, her body turns rigid against me.

“O-on,” she gasps, taking in lungfuls of air too quickly.

Noah quickly flicks the lamp back on. He sits up, and we both stare down at her, catching her frenzied gaze sweeping through the room.

“It’s just us,” Noah soothes, rubbing her back.

“I need to be able to see,” she pants, her breathing still not coming back down.